Allbirds and JUST Water Are Making Sneakers—and Donating 100% of Proceeds to Leonardo DiCaprio's Amazon Forest Fund
Since its inception, Allbirds has been devoted to finding a better way to make sneakers. Better for your feet, sure, especially when it comes to lightweight designs and comfy midsoles. But, crucially, the brand is also on a mission to make sneakers better for the planet.
That's why its first Runners were made from its now-signature, sustainable merino wool uppers. The next fabric innovation from the brand, Tree, was sourced from eucalyptus tree fibers. In 2018, Brazilian sugarcane became the basis for new SweetFoam soles. And Trino, a combination of merino wool and Tree that's used for socks, launched just this year. All are great! But it's Tree and SweetFoam that draw the most direct connection between Allbirds and another eco-conscious player: JUST Water.
See, JUST also uses Forest Stewardship Council-certified trees to make its sustainable materials, though in this case it's cartons for water and not shoe uppers. JUST uses sugarcane as well, for its carton caps. Those shared elements, plus an ethos that says, we should simply do better for the earth, brought JUST and Allbirds together. This week, the two brands teamed up on two new sneakers: the JUST Runner and the JUST Topper.
Both sneakers are made with Tree uppers and SweetFoam soles. The low-top Runner features hits of JUST's signature blue on the heel, tongue, and at the laces. The Topper (yes, it's a high-top) tones down the colorful elements on the upper, but goes all-in with a bright blue sole. Whichever you choose, the proceeds from the sale will go to support the Amazon Forest Fund, which the brands' investor Leonardo DiCaprio recently backed to protect the Amazon for generations to come.
"There is only one Mother Earth, and it's on us to protect her," Will Smith (yes, that Will Smith), who co-founded JUST with his son Jaden, said in a statement. "The Brazilian Amazon, our largest carbon sink, has now been burning for a month. We source JUST sugarcane caps from Brazil, so this hits especially close to home." Of working with Allbirds, he explained that "collaborating with businesses who are creating innovative, sustainable solutions are the key to our future, and it's important that we support those brands who give back more than they take."
Tim Brown, co-CEO and co-founder of Allbirds, welcomed the company. "At Allbirds, we're constantly looking to find new, more environmentally friendly alternatives to the materials that are typically used in footwear," he said in the same statement. "JUST is on a similar journey with packaged beverages bringing sustainable innovations to a very large category, so we jumped at the chance to learn from each other."
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